Flap
by mckee11223
Summary: When an owl robber comes to Coconut Cove, Mullet Fingers thinks he can stop him. Little did he know, he would get arrested. This time around, Roy and Beatrice must team up once again to save the owls and break Mullet out of jail. The hilarious sequel to Hoot, we deal with unlikely accomplices, red0handed criminals, and one vengeful employer who will do anything to get those owls.
1. Prologue

Flap

Prologue

"Yes?" As soon as I heard that voice, I knew that this was the end. "Yes, um, Chuck, I, I mean Mr. Chuck, I mean Mr. Muckle, sir,"

"Stop stammering and cut to the chase!"

I trembled, feeling the weight of the phone in my hand. "The owls, sir, they're-"

Chuck laughed. "If you're calling to tell me that you have those darn owls, good for you. If not, I will personally hijack this boat and come put-putting to Coconut Cove. You hear me?"

I gulped, feeling that the next sentence will be my last. "The owls, sir. They're not there."

Even over the phone, I could clearly hear Chuck Muckle crunching the can of coke he had in his hand. "WHAT? They're not there? Those pesky rats! I'll bet it was those, those DELINQUENTS that did this!"

"Sir," I started, "There was no sign of any, um, delinquents, as you say. I looked in every tree, ever branch, every bu-"

"Stop. Let me stop you right there." Chuck said in a low and calm voice. "These are not normal owls, do you hear? They live in the ground, they're 'bout the size of an onion, and they are BURROWING OWLS! How many times have I told you that, you dimwit!"

"Y-You never told me, sir. You said owls, and I assumed-"

"Do you want your name to end up on wanted posters? Don't talk back to me! And get me those owls!"

As the line finally went dead, I looked at the receiver. That was the longest 2 minutes of my life! One thing Chuck said stuck out, though. Delinquents? They can't possibly be more trouble than catching a bunch of little birds, can they?


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

-Mullet Fingers

I ran through the forest, panting. Leaves brushed against my arms, branches whipped through my hair. The grass crunched under my bare feet, making it impossible to hide or be quietly. A flashlight shined in my face, and I shielded my eyes. I could hear shouts from every direction. Oh no! I thought. What trouble have I gotten myself into this time?

1 day earlier

"Hey Mullet!"

I smiled. It was Beatrice, and I could already smell her banana loaf. Grabbing a leaf, I swung down from my bed in the palm tree. Beats a boring, everyday bed, that's for sure.

"Beatrice! Please tell me Roy didn't try to follow you this time!"

Beatrice snorted. "Well duh! I thought you were smarter than that!"

"Smarter than what?" I asked, my mouth already full from sticky banana bread.

"Smart enough to know not to question me! Please, Roy Edberhart has other things to do than follow me around all day."

There was a small rustling in the palm frond. Beatrice smiled. "Of course, that doesn't apply when, hmm, I gave him a bike, told his to come with me, notice my wording, and didn't tell him where we were going." She said as she handed me the bread.

When Roy dropped down, all he could see was a wrapper on the ground. "Hey! Napoleon! That you?" When he bent over to pick it up, I dropped down on top of him. Beatrice erupted into peals of laughter as Roy stood up, clutching his stomach.

"Ohh, I don't feel so good." He moaned. He made a gesture like he was about to gag, put his hand to his mouth and threw dirt all over Beatrice. Even I had to laugh at the sight of dirt in her hair.

"Ahh," I sighed. "This is just like the good old days, when we used to get into trouble. What do you say we go over to the lot and check out the owls?"

But Roy didn't even listen. He was gawking at my bed in the trees. "How do you even get up there?" He asked.

I chuckled. "I'll tell you once we see the owls. Come on!" And I swung up into the trees and disappeared. Climbing trees was great. It kept reminding me that Florida wasn't all flat, that there were still patches of wilderness left. When I got there, I could faintly see Beatrice and Roy jogging down the path.

When they got here, I smiled. "Alright, Roy. First promise that you will never tell anyone about the new hideout."

He rolled his eyes. "Well, duh. I'm not about to turn you in for tampering with palm leaves."

But I was barely listening. I was looking the lot. A figure dressed in black was shuffling around in the trees, probing around with a stick. I put my finger to my lips and signaled for them to be quiet, and then I climbed a tree.

Dropping down right behind the man, I startled him pretty badly.

"Kind of weird to be wearing black in the middle of Florida, isn't it?"

As I said this, he was trying to bolt, but his cane, as I now saw, and not a stick, was getting stuck in the leaves.

"Look." I said menacingly. "Don't mess with the owls, and I won't mess with you. Got it?" Then I swung onto a tree and went back to Beatrice and Roy.

"What was that?" Roy asked.

"Oh, nothing." I said. "Just an owl lover. We know there are many of them here, huh?"


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

-Roy

As I was walking home with Beatrice, I couldn't help but think of the figure at the lot.

"You know, I'm still kind of worried about the owls. I think Mullet was just being sarcastic when he said that there were a lot of owl lovers."

Beatrice snorted. "You think? You know he's gonna go back there and sort the guy out on his own."

But I was still worried. After the incident with the porta-pottie alligators, I had come to respect Mullet, but respect was not the same as agreeing, as I knew only too well. I guess it was a good thing that I brought it up, because you'll never guess what Mullet did next.

Back to the present

-Mullet Fingers

Grinning to myself, I scrambled up a tree. I could see the man again, poking around with that cane of his. Stopping right above him, carefully as to not rustle any leaves, I drew out a box from my backpack. Inside were 2 dozen baby crickets. This would get rid of the man and provide a nice snack for the owls. Just as I was about to dump them, I noticed something shining in the man's hand. A revolver! And a net! What was he about to do? At that moment, I must have gasped out loud, because I felt the man reach up and grope for me. Stunned, I could only watch as the man finally found my leg and pulled me down. His breath was sour as he put his face to mine. "Now I've gotcha."

He dialed the number, all the while keeping an arm on my wrist. "Well, the police are coming. Run." He said, and let go. Immediately I ran into the woods, only to find a tracking chip on my wrist. I tried in vain to pry it off, only to find that it was stuck well. I groaned. How am I supposed to run like this? Hearing the sirens, I ran in the opposite direction. Soon I could hear sounds everywhere.

I ran through the forest, panting. Leaves brushed against my arms, branches whipped through my hair. The grass crunched under my bare feet, making it impossible to hide or be quietly. A flashlight shined in my face, and I shielded my eyes. I could hear shouts from every direction. Oh no! I thought. What trouble have I gotten myself into this time?

Scrambling up a tree for the third, and not even last time today, I pulled some leaves over me and tried, unsuccessfully again to pry the chip off. No luck. Dogs were coming. I could hear their vicious snarling, drool dripping, razor sharp teeth grinding in anticipation of tasting human flesh. Instinctively I looked towards my scar, the one I had from the guard dog. It was a grapefruit sized reminder of the first time we all saved the owls. I sighed, knowing that this was it. As I climbed down from the tree, I realized I still had a chance.

My hope was soon diminished, for standing there with a proud new uniform and badge, was Leroy Curly Branitt.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

-Leroy Branitt

"Well, you seem qualified enough, you have a diploma, and you weren't ever convicted of any crimes. Were you?" Officer Delinko narrowed his eyes at me. I broke out in a cold sweat, as I always do when I'm nervous.

"Well, uh, no, sir." I mumbled. What was wrong with me today? I was acting like a fool in front of my soon-to-be-boss.

He grinned brightly. "You've got the job!"

I was soon taken to a fitting for my uniform (Which I had to pay for). I got a shiny new badge that says "Rookie". Although I wasn't pleased with it, I felt proud to be wearing an official badge for once.

My first call came from a man. He claims he saw a boy messing with the owls and destroying burrows. He had put a tracking chip on him so he couldn't run away. I knew at once there was something wrong. The only boys that were every near the owls were that Edberhart kid and the little daredevil with the blond hair. They love those owls. Heck, they would raise people from the dead if that's what it took to save those darn owls. I sighed. A stalker call was better than nothing.

Remembering the guard dogs, I took a couple of police dogs with me. If it was that troublemaker, I would flush him out bad with those dogs.

Riding over to the owl lot, I thought long and hard about the man who had called. He sounded sure that we could catch the kid, and how had he gone close enough to put a tracking chip, of all things, on that kid? My thoughts were interrupted when Delinko called on the walkie-talkie. Man, I loved those things. They were better than phones. Anyway, he called and said that he got an anonymous call to check out a grocery store. I sighed. That meant that I didn't get any reinforcements for my first job.

Suddenly the dogs' ears perked up. They heard something. Something, or someone, was running through the bushes. Not-so-silently, I followed the dogs. When an owl hooted, I shouted out in alarm. It rang off every tree, creating an echo. The dogs' barks also had the same effect. Should spook the kid, if not anyone else who happens to be near.

Following a curious rustle, I crept forward and motioned for the dogs to circle around a tree. My lucky hunch paid off. When the boy came down, was he ever surprised to see good old' Curly standing there with his brand new badge and set of handcuffs.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

-Beatrice Leep

"Hello? Is this Lonna Leep?" A gruff voice over the phone announced.

On the outside Beatrice was stiff, but on the inside she was giddy. This was the phone number of the police. If only Lonna had gotten into trouble! "Yes?"

"Your son, Napoleon is in juvenile detention. We have allowed him his one call. This is it. You have 5 minutes."

"Lonna?" A frightened voice said. Beatrice gasped. This sounded nothing like her brother, the headstrong kid that refused to feel scared or guilty. She realized that all this was nothing compared to the fact that he had been caught, but doing what?

"No, Mullet! It's me, Beatrice!"

He sighed in relief. "Beatrice, you have to help. They're recording this call, so I can't say much. I was framed. The man was stealing owls and kidnapped me to try to frame me. Please, you have to help me!" He sounded like he was at the verge of tears. I can't believe that this was what my brother was saying!

"But can't you escape again? You've done it before."

He sniffed. "You know how Dana Matherson got transported to the higher security juvie after he was caught? Well, they're treating this as an escape for me, and their sending me there too! I can't escape from a place like that! You have to help me stop the man."

"Mullet, no way. I'll tell the police, but I can't do this for you."

"Just help the owls!" He shouted as the phone was being wrenched away.

Running over to Roy's house, I explained everything that Mullet told me. When I finished, he was standing there like a fish out of water, gasping for air.

"Dad! Get in here!"

And so Roy explained the whole thing again while his dad listened patiently. When he finished, the only thing his dad said was "So are you?"

"Are we what?" I asked.

"Are you going to stop the owl snatcher?"

That got me thinking. I already said that we weren't going to do it. Besides, the man was too dangerous if he managed to catch even the notorious escapee Mullet Fingers.

"Only if you help." Roy said resolutely.

He sighed. "The only thing I can help with is filing. I don't do field work. Roy, you know that."

"Well, I hoped." Roy shrugged.

I cut in. "We better go hide those owls!"

Roy and his dad stopped our bickering. He stared wide-eyed at me. "Are you crazy? That man will roast you alive! He caught Mullet, for goodness sakes!"

"But he won't catch us." I said resolutely. Smiling cheekily, I pulled something out of my backpack.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

-Dana Matherson

As the new inmate was coming into the block, I sized him up. He was skinny, average height, with wavy dirty blond hair. His head hung low, as if hiding from someone. He looked familiar, but I couldn't be sure. 3 months of being in juvie and my brain was already like cooked jelly. This place does things to you. They make you work, and after a while, you feel that working is the only way. That was when someone was too far gone to be saved. Going back to the new kid, I noticed that his orange uniform didn't have the any dirt or smudges on it. Odd. We always fought when they took us here. Racking my brain to think where I had met him before, I just couldn't remember. Then he raised his head.

Those eyes. Those blue eyes. How could I ever forget them? Still shining with seriousness and determination, though they had lost some of their shine. This was the kid that had gotten me caught the first time. Napoleon Bridger Leep, as it is, stealing a look at his entry form. Leep. Beatrice Leep. So they were related.

My first impulse was to attack him head on, but seeing the guards there and judging by his wiry but tough frame, if I weren't to sit on him then I would lose.

"Napoleon Bridger Leep, you are sentenced to 12 months in prison for escaping from a federal prison, disrupting wildlife, trespassing, assault and truancy." The guard announced, looking puzzled as he read it. Leroy Branitt, his name tag read. I didn't understand most of what that meant, but I could guess that it was bad.

"You will be living in cell 9D, with cellmate Dana Matherson." Leroy continued. That was it. I could swear "Napoleon" shot me a foul look, picking me out in the crowd of inmates. Inwardly I groaned. This kid would get beaten up by everyone else, ruining my reputation.

And I was right, for one part. As soon as Leroy left and the door closed behind him with a beep, Howard Hatsin, the toughest kid on the block strode up to him. Judging by his amused reaction, he obviously thought that he was an easy challenge. Howard swung a fist, only to have it easily caught by Napoleon. He strained to push his hand in, but Napoleon wasn't fazed. Simply stepping aside with his hand still gripping Howard's fist, he twisted it inwards and pulled. Howard gasped for air. His eyeballs looked like they would bulge out of their sockets.

Easily, Napoleon said "Surrender now. I could do this all day."

"Ok! Ok. I surrender! Now let me go!"

There was an audible gasp from everyone in the room. How could this skinny little kid beat Horrible Hatsin in one move?

"Well," Napoleon smirked, tapping at his chin, "I want your lunch for the next 2 days and for you to never get at me again. You don't know the limits of what I can do."

Hatsin groaned. He seemed to be turning blue at the hand. I didn't seem like Napoleon was going to let go. "Alright! Alright! Leave me alone!"

But Napoleon let go. His eyes glinted with cold fury. "Not let it stay that way." He said, and strode over to our cell.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

-Beatrice Leep

"Roy, I'm still worried about Mullet," I whispered as we were staking out the owl lot. "He could hold out alright in prison, right?"

"Don't worry. He's a tough kid. He's fine, and he probably already broke out by now." He sounded calm, although I could hear his voice trembling. He's as afraid as I am, maybe even more.

This whole incident has had the house booming. Lonna has been shrieking day and night about how Mullet deserved this, how he was finally going somewhere that he can't escape from. Dad just kept agreeing with Lonna, then making faces at her behind her back. I just don't understand why they won't take this seriously.

My thoughts were disrupted when the man in black came again, tap-tapping with his cane. This time it was much more frantic, sticking it in every hole and rustling the bushes.

More out of impulse than decision, I shouted "Hey!"

The man looked towards our direction. In his hand I could now see that he also had a gun. So that was how he caught Mullet.

"Who's there?" He shouted. He had a southern accent, with a hint of Spanish.

Signalling to Roy, I crept over a few meters and shouted again. While the man was busy looking for me, he didn't notice Roy with the blow dart, aiming from behind. One more time I shouted, and it was then that Roy nailed him right on the behind.

Creeping up to the man, we made sure he was knocked out before talking.

"I didn't mean to hit him in the butt." Roy said sheepishly. "I'm actually a really bad aim."

"I know. I've seen you play soccer."

We both laughed at that. Funny how we can laugh at a time like this, with an unconscious man in front of us and Mullet in jail.

Lifting up his arm and letting it drop, I sighed. "The best way we can get him home, is with a wagon." And I waited while Roy went to get his garden wheelbarrow.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

-Mullet Fingers

When I twisted the burly kid's arm around, I didn't expect for him to go around crying for his mommy. Heck, I used to do the same thing to Beatrice and she didn't even break a sweat. That wasn't the only surprise of the day. When I found out I was going to be rooming with the one and only Dana Matherson, I just knew that I had to break out. The only problem: It was impossible. There were no air vents large enough to crawl through, the guard shifts were tight, and unlike adults, we can't just put on a uniform and call us a cop.

Lying down on the rusty cot, I dreamed of my little paradise with Roy and Beatrice. I was still dreaming when Dana waltzed in and took a seat on the bunk across from me. He looked at me warily, as if he was afraid I would spring at any second.

"What?" I demanded, keeping my eyes fixed at the ceiling lamp.

"Well, uh, that was the meanest kid on the block. And you just beat him up. So…"

I turned to face the wall. I was laughing. That kid dared to say that he was the toughest? Beatrice could tie him to a tree in no time. No time at all. Then I thought about it. Dana used to be the most feared. He had a posse at his side, a bit of fighting skills, and a whole lot of smack talk. I guess the most powerful people really do get by with bluffing.

-Dana Matherson

When I walked into my cell, the first thing I saw was the kid lying on his cot, staring up at nothing. As I sat down on my cot, I felt his eyes boring into the back of my head.

"What?" He demanded. I nearly jumped out of my skin.

Thinking quickly, I said ""Well, uh, that was the meanest kid on the block. And you just beat him up. So…"

He turned around quickly on his cot. At first, his shoulders were shaking, and I thought he was crying. Wouldn't be the first around here to. Then I heard a stifled laugh. He was laughing at me! The little punk, he deserved a beat down, though after the Hatsin episode, I decided to keep my skull in one piece.

"You know?" Napoleon chuckled, "I'd rather be in school right now."

Then he started laughing so hard that a guard had to come to see if anything was wrong.

I couldn't get it. I mean, this kid had street smarts, sick planning skills and the ability to improvise. I just couldn't get the joke about school. Then I remembered. "Truancy," The guard had said. Wasn't that the law that said kids can't skip school until they were 16?

Looking at the boy, I realized that while he had enormous strength, he was most definitely not 16. Then, I remembered one small detail. The last time when he led me to my doom in a truck full of smelly laundry, he had said something. Just as he was high-tailing it out of the truck, he had said something. "Roy will be happy to never see you at school again, but I won't be around there to know."

He had told me. That little rat had told me about his truancy, about Roy, about his plan all along, and only now I realized!

"You little rat! I snarled. "You tricked me last time!"

He turned, mocking surprise. "Oh really? Seems like you did it to yourself."


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

-Detective Delinko

"Leroy, are you sure it was the Leep kid? Couldn't it have been some other boy that was rustling the owls?" I just couldn't believe that the stubborn Leep kid was to blame for the missing owls.

"Yes, sir. He was running through the trees and everything."

"But you didn't see him take the owls?" I raised one eyebrow quizzically.

"No sir, but an anonymous man reported that he saw it. Besides, the owls are missing, and we need someone to take the blame."

In my head, my thoughts were churning. Who was this anonymous person? Where did the owls go? Could that Napoleon boy really have stolen them? And say he did, to what purpose? What did he have to gain from this?

Delinko raised his eyebrows. "An anonymous man, huh? And did this man say why or what he was doing, spying on the kid and putting," He glanced at my report, "A tracking device on the boy? Doesn't it seem at all suspicious that he would just have a tracking device handy, and then disappear from the scene when police arrives? Doesn't that seem at all suspicious, Rookie?"

I mean, I was stunned. How dare he talk to me that way? I was about to let him have it, boss or not, when the station chief walked in.

"Well done, Curly! Catching that little thief and vandal, and I can say that you probably settled a few, ahh, personal, grudges, am I right?" He boomed.

"Well, the thing is chief," I stammered, "This doesn't seem like his style. Last time he was taken in, he was sabotaging the owl destroyers. It just doesn't make sense to steal the owls he had gone through so much trouble to save."

The chief put his hand on my shoulder. "Well, the thing is, criminals, especially juvenile delinquents don't have a clear reason. Heck, we've had someone donate millions of dollars to a charity, and then steal that money the next day! We can never understand criminals. That's why we hired you!" He patted me on the back, his beefy hand smashing into my wiry frame. I almost choked. Note to self, see a spine doctor.

"Alrighty then, but I would love to go visit the 'little delinquent' and see what he has to say."

He chuckled. "Don't you worry. He's gonna be there for a long time."


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

-Roy Edberhart

"Bea, you know that you're the stronger one. Why do I have to take this?" I groaned as the man shifted again as Beatrice patted him down for a wallet. "Or at least stop shifting the wheelbarrow! This thing doesn't balance well. One of the back wheels had broken off, so it was practically a bycicle.

"Be quiet Roy. I'm working." Beatrice fumbled around in his jacket. "There's like 50 pockets in this thing!"

I cursed under my breath. "Bea, hurry it up!" My arms were getting tired, and soon the wheelbarrow was going to smash on the ground and wake the guy, and who would Beatrice blame, hmm?

"Got it!" Beatrice triumphantly lifted out a brown leather wallet. I peered closer, and the leather appeared to be fake.

I grabbed the wallet from her, effectively dropping the wheelbarrow to the ground with a thud. "Lucas Bulgary," I read aloud from his driver's license. I turned the wallet over in my hands. "Hey, what's this?"

Inside was a handwritten note, and I realized for a jolt that I knew who it was. Chuck Muckle, the owl destroyer. "Beatrice! There's a note!"

It read _if you value your freedom, get those owls and deliver them to the following address._

It said the address underneath, but I didn't read it aloud. Instead, I showed it to Beatrice.

"Huh. It's at the pier." She said, scratching her head.

"Well let's go!" I yelled, running down the street. I looked back, but Beatrice wasn't following me.

She was pointing towards Lucas and the wheelbarrow. "Roy? Didn't you forget about something?"

"Bea, I don't like this," I complained as we trudged down a dark alley a while later. The wheelbarrow teethered precariously on its two wheels, and I have to strain to push it.

"Shh," Beatrice whispered, "We just have to make a small detour."

"Well, where are we going?" I asked, but the sight in front of me stopped me right in my tracks.

The Coconut Cove High Security Juvenile Prison was no joke. Smooth walls rose all around it, with wire mesh on top. Floodlights and cameras loomed around, and the huge steel door was definitely unmistakable. You would have to be nuts to try and climb that.

"Mullet's there?" I asked, pointing to the building.

"Yeah. And we're going to bust him out." Beatrice said as she dumped Lucas in a nearby bush.

We strode right through the front doors, so that was an obstacle passed. I couldn't help but feel guilty about all this. Looking around at the concrete walls and dark atmosphere, I could just picture myself here, arrested for aiding and abetting a criminal's escape.

I just had to choose between my brain and my heart, I told myself, and scrambled over to Beatrice.

When we reached the guard, I nearly had a heart attack. Great! Now we will be arrested!

"Hello. I'm here to see Napoleon Bridger Leep. I'm Beatrice Leep and my friend Roy Edberhart. We're a little early." Beatrice said in a soothing, sugary voice. I nearly gasped out loud. This was Beatrice? This was not the tough soccer player I've learned to know and fear.

Sparks of recognition shone in the guard's eyes as he scanned the clipboard in his hand.

"Please remove everything in your pockets and all jewelry." He said in a strangely familiar voice.

Then Beatrice took off her earrings. There was an audible choking sound coming from the guards, and when I looked down at the tray I could see two purple owls staring at me with their big brown eyes.

"You're the foreman that tried to bulldoze our owls!" I shouted, and it was. Leroy Branitt now had a new uniform and blond stubble on his chin.

"I don't know what you're talking aoubt. Now scram!" He said, nudging me through the metal detector.

Beatrice waved a piece of banana bread under his nose. "Can I take this to Mul – Napoleon?" Leroy took a sniff of it and waved her in. The detector let he pass without a hitch.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

-Mullet Fingers

When Beatrice and Roy came to visit me, I was beyond happy. With work, and guards and Dana Matherson to worry about, I could just feel my life shrinking. It's been so long since I've seen the gorgeous everglades and trees and grass. I was even starting to miss the scorching sun.

We talked about school, about sports, about Lonna (She got bit by a snapping turtle that she insisted would be a good pet), and about construction season. So much of Florida was being bulldozed, and here I was sitting around, not able to do anything!

When the visit was almost over, Beatrice took out a piece of banana bread. My mouth watered at the delicious aroma of my favourite snack. "Eat it later." Beatrice whispered in my ear.

When I went back to my cell, sorry, escorted back to my cell, I unwrapped the bread and took a huge bite.

I almost broke my tooth.

Inside was a stick wrapped in paper. When I took it out and smoothed out the paper, I saw that it was a note. "We're the spark. You're the fire." Beatrice had written. I put the paper under my mattress. When I was about to throw out the stick, I noticed something. It wasn't a stick. It was a match. I'm the fire. Beatrice and Roy have given me a spark, and now I'm going to set it ablaze.

-Leroy Branitt

When the jail door slammed, I flinched. I had always imagined it to be myself behind those bars. The kid looked almost the same from when I last saw him, except for a strange glint in his eyes. His hands were calloused from the work and for the first time, I saw him in shoes.

"Alright. So, Napoleon, I wanted to talk to you about those owls." I put my hands on the table in front of me, and looked at him expectantly.

"I didn't take them." He said, mirroring my gesture in mockery.

"And I don't think you did either." I could tell my answer shocked him as much as it did me.

"You what?" For the first time ever, I saw the little blond kid frazzled. He looked like he was ready to jump out of that seat and strangle someone. I looked around nervously. There was no one here but me.

"Look. Tracking chips don't come cheap, and it doesn't seem possible that the caller who reported you just happened to have one on him. I think you were framed, but I just can't prove it."

He just sat there, blinking at me.

I shifted. Something about this kid was extremely wrong, but I just couldn't put my finger on it.

"Are we done?" He asked, standing up.

"Yes." I turned and walked out my door as fast as possible. I didn't want to stay another minute.


End file.
